Information processing apparatus and information processing method

ABSTRACT

Server apparatus, by controlling aerial vehicle, causes aerial vehicle to fly within a close range of an animal group, and causes aerial vehicle to capture images of the animal group. Aerial vehicle transmits captured image data to server apparatus via communication network, and server apparatus checks a health state of animals of the animal group using the captured image data with a method such as image analysis. Server apparatus performs machine learning using position information history of wireless terminals attached to animals (that is, a movement history of the animal group), specifies an area for checking the state of the animal group, and causes aerial vehicle to fly to the specified area and to capture images of the animal group.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a technique for remotely checking astate of animals such as livestock.

BACKGROUND

A technique for analyzing animal behavior has been proposed. Forexample, Japanese Patent Application No. JP-2016-208065A discloses atechnique for investigating habitats of wild animals using a drone, anddisplaying the habitats of the wild animals via overlay on a map.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

There are cases where a health or the like of livestock can beapproximately estimated from the livestock's external appearance. Insuch cases, it is convenient if a mechanism is remotely available toenable efficient observation of an external appearance of a large numberof livestock. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is toprovide a technique that enables efficient checking of a state of ananimal group such as livestock.

To achieve the stated object, the present invention provides aninformation processing apparatus including: a specifying unit configuredto specify a checking area for checking a state of an animal group basedon a movement history of the animal group; and a control unit configuredto control flight of an aerial vehicle to the checking area specified bythe specifying unit for capture of images of the group of animals.

The specifying unit may specify a checking area in which animals of athreshold number or more that face in a same direction as determinedfrom a movement direction specified from a movement history of theanimal group, and the control unit may cause the aerial vehicle to flyin a direction directly facing the animal group so as to capture facesof the animals in a checking area specified by the specifying unit.

The specifying unit may specify the checking area and a time withinwhich the animal group stays in the checking area based on a movementhistory of the animal group, and the control unit may perform controlsuch that the aerial vehicle is caused to fly so as to arrive at thechecking area specified by the specifying unit at the time specified bythe specifying unit.

The specifying unit may specify the checking area based on weatherinformation history when the animal group moved, in addition to themovement history of the animal group.

The specifying unit may specify the checking area based on a differencebetween the movement route of the animal group that was estimated basedon the movement history of the animal group and latest positioninformation of the animal group.

The specifying unit may further specify the checking area based on imagecapture conditions when the aerial vehicle captures images of the animalgroup.

The specifying unit may extract individual animals from the animalgroup, which were not regularly captured in a first checking area inwhich the state of the animal group is checked, and specify a secondchecking area in which states of the extracted individuals animals arechecked, and the control unit may perform control such that the aerialvehicle is caused to fly to the first checking area and second checkingarea specified by the specifying unit.

The present invention also provides an information processing methodincluding: specifying a checking area for checking a state of an animalgroup based on a movement history of the animal group; and performingcontrol such that an aerial vehicle that captures images of the animalgroup is caused to fly to the checking area specified by the specifyingunit.

According to the present invention, a state of an animal group such aslivestock can be efficiently checked.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of flightsystem in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of aerialvehicle in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of serverapparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functionalconfiguration of flight system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a machine learningoperation performed by server apparatus in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation forchecking a state of an animal group performed by server apparatus inaccordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Configuration

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of flightsystem 1. Flight system 1 is a system for checking states of a largenumber of livestock (animal group) such as cattle or sheep that are putout to pasture on a stock farm, for example. Flight system 1 includesunmanned aerial vehicle 10, referred to as a drone, server apparatus 20,wireless terminal 40 attached to a predetermined part of animal 30, andcommunication network 2 for communicably connecting these apparatuses.Server apparatus 20 functions as an information processing apparatus forcontrolling aerial vehicle 10. Communication network 2 includes awireless communication network that conforms to LTE (Long TermEvolution) or another communication standard, for example.

Server apparatus 20, by controlling aerial vehicle 10, causes aerialvehicle 10 to fly within close range of an animal group, and captureimages of the animal group. Aerial vehicle 10 transmits captured imagedata of the animal group to server apparatus 20 via communicationnetwork 2, and server apparatus 20 checks a health state of animalsusing the captured image data by way of a method such as image analysis.Server apparatus 20 performs machine learning using position informationhistory of wireless terminals 40 attached to animals 30 (that is,movement history of the animal group), specifies an area suitable forchecking the state of the animal group (hereinafter, “checking area”),and causes aerial vehicle 10 to fly to the specified checking area andcapture images of the animal group.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of aerialvehicle 10. Physically, aerial vehicle 10 is configured as a computerapparatus that includes processor 1001, memory 1002, storage 1003,communication unit 1004, input unit 1005, output unit 1006, flight unit1007, sensor 1008, GPS unit 1009, a bus for connecting theseapparatuses, and the like. These apparatuses operate using powersupplied from a battery (not illustrated). It is of note that in thefollowing description the term “apparatus” can be replaced with“circuit,” “device,” “unit” or the like. The hardware configuration ofaerial vehicle 10 may also be configured to include, with respect toeach apparatus shown in the diagram, one or a plurality of theapparatuses, or may also be configured to not include some apparatuses.

Functions of aerial vehicle 10 are realized by causing predeterminedsoftware (programs) to be loaded in hardware such as processor 1001 andmemory 1002 and processor 1001 that perform computational operations tocontrol communication by communication unit 1004, and to control atleast one of reading and writing of data in memory 1002 and storage1003.

Processor 1001 controls the computer as a whole by causing an operatingsystem to run, for example. Processor 1001 may be constituted of acentral processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheralapparatuses, a control apparatus, a computational operation apparatus,registers, and the like. Also, a baseband signal processing unit, a callprocessing unit, and the like may be realized by processor 1001, forexample.

Processor 1001 reads a program (program code), a software module, data,and the like from at least one of storage 1003 and communication unit1004 into memory 1002, and executes various processing in accordancewith the read-out program and the like. A program that causes a computerto execute at least some of the later-described operations is used asthe program. The functional blocks of aerial vehicle 10 may be realizedby a control program that is stored in memory 1002 and runs in processor1001. The various types of processing may be executed by one processor1001, or may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or moreprocessors 1001. Processor 1001 may be implemented using one or morechips. It is of note that a program may be transmitted fromcommunication network 2 to aerial vehicle 10 over an electricalcommunication line.

Memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may beconstituted of at least one of a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EPROM(Erasable Programmable ROM), an EEPROM (Electrically ErasableProgrammable ROM), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and so on, for example.Memory 1002 may also be referred to as a “register,” “cache,” “mainmemory” (a main storage apparatus), or the like. Memory 1002 can storean executable program (program code) for implementing a method accordingto the present embodiment, software modules, and the like.

Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and for example,may be constituted of at least one of an optical disk such as a CD-ROM(Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, amagneto-optical disk (for example, a compact disk, a digital versatiledisk, or a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a smartcard, a flashmemory (for example, a card, a stick, or a key drive), a Floppy(registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, and the like. Storage1003 may be referred to as an auxiliary storage apparatus. Storage 1003stores identification information of aerial vehicle 10 (referred to asaerial vehicle identification information), for example. This aerialvehicle identification information is used by server apparatus 20 toidentify and control aerial vehicle 10.

Communication unit 1004 is hardware (a transmitting and receivingdevice) for performing communication between computers via communicationnetwork 2, and is also referred to as a network device, a networkcontroller, a network card, and a communication module, for example.Communication unit 1004 may be constituted of a high frequency switch, aduplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, and the like, in order torealize at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and timedivision duplex (TDD), for example. For example, a transmitting andreceiving antenna, an amplifier unit, a transmitting and receiving unit,a transmission path interface, and the like may also be realized bycommunication unit 1004. The transmitting and receiving unit may beimplemented by physically or logically separating the transmissioncontrol unit and the receiving unit.

Input unit 1005 is an input device (e.g., key, microphone, switch,button, and the like) that receives an input from an external apparatus,and in particular, includes an image capturing apparatus. Output unit1006 is an output device (e.g., display, speaker, LED lamp, and thelike) that performs output to an external apparatus.

Flight unit 1007 is a mechanism that enables aerial vehicle 10 to fly(in the air), and includes a propeller, a motor and a driving mechanismfor driving the propeller, for example.

Sensor 1008 is constituted of a group of sensors including a temperaturesensor, a rotation speed sensor for detecting a number of rotations of amotor, a sensor for detecting a value relative to an input/output suchas a current/voltage (e.g., a battery power remaining capacity sensor),a gyrosensor, an acceleration sensor, an atmospheric pressure (altitude)sensor, a magnetic (direction) sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and thelike.

GPS unit 1009 measures a three-dimensional position of aerial vehicle10. GPS unit 1009 is a GPS receiver, and measures a position of aerialvehicle 10 based on GPS signals received from a plurality of satellites.

Apparatuses such as processor 1001 and memory 1002 are connected via abus for communicating information. The bus may be constituted of asingle bus, or may be constituted of a plurality of buses forconnections between apparatuses.

Aerial vehicle 10 may be constituted of hardware such as amicroprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (ApplicationSpecific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), an FPGA(Field Programmable Gate Array), and the like, and some of or all of thefunctional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example,processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one piece of hardware.

Wireless terminal 40 includes a GPS unit and a communication unitsimilar to those of aerial vehicle 10, and transmits positioninformation (including a time stamp indicating a time at whichpositioning is performed and terminal identification information ofwireless terminal 40) obtained by positioning performed by the GPS unitfrom the communication unit to server apparatus 20 via communicationnetwork 2. From the position information history of wireless terminal40, the position where animal 30 stayed in the past and the time duringwhich animal 30 stayed can be specified.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of serverapparatus 20. Physically, server apparatus 20 is configured as acomputer apparatus that includes processor 2001, memory 2002, storage2003, communication unit 2004, input unit 2005, output unit 2006, and abus for connecting these apparatuses. Functions of server apparatus 20are realized by causing predetermined software (programs) to be loadedin hardware such as processor 2001 and memory 2002, and processor 2001performing computational operations to control communication bycommunication unit 2004, and to control at least one of reading andwriting of data in memory 2002 and storage 2003. As hardware, processor2001, memory 2002, storage 2003, communication unit 2004, and the busfor connecting these apparatuses are similar respectively to processor1001, memory 1002, storage 1003, communication unit 1004, and the busfor connecting these apparatuses as described with regard to aerialvehicle 10, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

Storage 2003 stores terminal identification information and the positioninformation history of each wireless terminal 40 in association. It isof note that the terminal identification information of wirelessterminal 40 corresponds to an animal type, and a type of an animal towhich wireless terminal 40 is attached can be specified from theterminal identification information.

Input unit 2005 is an input device (e.g., keyboard, mouse, microphone,switch, button, sensor, joystick, ball controller, and the like) forreceiving input from an external apparatus. Output unit 2006 is anoutput device (e.g., display, speaker, LED lamp, and the like) forperforming output to an external apparatus. It is of note that inputunit 2005 and output unit 2006 may be integrally configured (e.g., maybe a touch panel).

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functionalconfiguration of flight system 1. In server apparatus 20, acquiring unit21 acquires various types of data (e.g., a measured position and varioustypes of (behavior) data such as an attitude of aerial vehicle 10 andcaptured image data obtained by aerial vehicle 10) from aerial vehicle10 via communication network 2. Also, acquiring unit 21 acquiresposition information of wireless terminal 40 from wireless terminal 40via communication network 2. Further, acquiring unit 21 acquires a pastweather history, a current weather state, and a future weather forecastfrom a weather information accumulation apparatus (not shown).

Specifying unit 22 specifies a checking area in which a state of ananimal group is checked and a checking time at which the check isperformed, based on the position information history (that is, themovement history of the animal group) of wireless terminal 40.Specifically, specifying unit 22 generates an artificial intelligencemodel by performing machine learning in which a type of animal 30 andpast weather corresponding to a time stamp included in the positioninformation of animal 30 are explanatory variables, and a position ofanimal 30 and a time at which animal 30 remained at the position areobjective variables. Then, specifying unit 22 inputs into the artificialintelligence model a type of animal 30 to be observed (e.g., sheep) anda weather forecast (e.g., tomorrow's weather forecast) for a periodduring which animal 30 of interest is scheduled to be observed, andspecifies the position of animal 30 for this period and a time (that is,a future time based on an estimated movement route of animal 30) . Theestimated movement route is specified for each individual animal 30, andtherefore specifying unit 22 specifies the checking area and checkingtime by performing statistical processing on the estimated movementroutes of individual animals of animals 30. Specifically, if an area andtime can be specified within which a maximally large and dense number ofanimals 30 congregate , a large number of animals can be captured usinga small number of image capture times. Thus, an area and time arespecified as the checking area and the checking time.

Control unit 23 performs control such that aerial vehicle 10 is causedto fly to the checking area specified by specifying unit 22 and performimage capturing. Specifically, control unit 23 causes aerial vehicle 10to fly to a position corresponding to the centroid or center of thechecking area specified by specifying unit 22, and to exhaustivelycapture images of the animal group in an area within a range of aerialvehicle 10 by causing aerial vehicle 10 to rotate 360 degrees in ahorizontal plane.

Operations

Next, operations of server apparatus 20 will be described. It is of notethat in the following description, when server apparatus 20 is describedas an agent of processing, the meaning of the description is that theprocessing is executed by processor 2001 that performs computationresponsive to predetermined software (program) being loaded intohardware such as processor 2001 and memory 2002, and control ofcommunication by communication unit 2004 and reading and/or writing ofdata in memory 2002 and storage 2003. This description is alsoapplicable to aerial vehicle 10.

First, the machine learning operation performed by server apparatus 20will be described with reference to FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, acquiring unit 21of server apparatus 20 regularly acquires position information fromwireless terminal 40 via communication network 2, for example (stepS11). The acquired position information is stored in storage 2003 ofserver apparatus 20 as movement history of an animal group.

Next, specifying unit 22 generates an artificial intelligence model byperforming machine learning by which the type of animal 30 and the pastweather corresponding to a time stamp included in position informationof wireless terminal 40 are explanatory variables and the position ofthe wireless terminal 40 and the time stamp (that is, the position ofanimal 30 and a time during which animal 30 remained at the position)are objective variables (step S12). As described above, the terminalidentification information included in position information of wirelessterminal 40 corresponds to the type of animal 30, and thereforespecifying unit 22 need only specify the type of animal 30 from theterminal identification information included in the position informationof wireless terminal 40.

Specifying unit 22 then stores the generated artificial intelligencemodel in storage 2003 (step S13).

Next, operations for checking a state of an animal group performed byserver apparatus 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. In FIG.6, specifying unit 22 of server apparatus 20 inputs into the artificialintelligence model a type of animal 30 to be observed and a weatherforecast for a period during which animal 30 of interest is scheduled tobe observed (step S21), and specifies the estimated movement route ofanimal 30 in the period that is scheduled for observation (step S22).

Then, specifying unit 22 specifies, for example, an area and a timewithin which a maximally large and dense number of animals 30congregate, as the checking area and checking time of the animal groupbased on the estimated movement route (step S23). A plurality ofchecking areas and checking times may also be specified for a singleanimal group.

Control unit 23 generates a flight schedule for aerial vehicle 10 toreach the specified checking area at the specified checking time (stepS24), and controls aerial vehicle 10 following the flight schedule (stepS25). The flight control is repeated until the flight of aerial vehicle10 ends (step S26; YES).

According to the embodiment described above, a state of an animal groupsuch as livestock can be efficiently performed.

Modifications

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above,and the embodiment above may be modified as described below. Moreover,two or more of the following modifications may be combined, asappropriate.

Modification 1

The configuration may also be such that specifying unit 22 specifies achecking area and checking time at which animals 30 of a thresholdnumber or more are facing in the same direction, based on the movementdirection specified from the movement history of the animal group, andcontrol unit 23 causes aerial vehicle 10 to fly in a direction directlyfacing the animal group so as to capture faces of animals 30 in thechecking area and at the checking time specified by specifying unit 22.Specifically, when specifying the checking area and checking time byperforming statistical processing on estimated movement routes ofindividual animals, specifying unit 22 specifies a checking area and achecking time at which animals of a threshold number or more are movingin the same direction within a predetermined range (e.g., the differencein movement direction is less than ±10 degrees). Here, it is assumedthat a face of each animal 30 is directed in its direction of movement.Control unit 23 controls aerial vehicle 10 to fly in a directiondirectly facing a plurality of animals of a threshold number or morethat face in the same direction in the specified checking area and atthe checking time, so as to capture the faces of animals 30. In manycases, a health state of an animal can be determined mainly by observingthe face of the animal, and therefore health states of animals can beefficiently and accurately checked by use of this method.

Modification 2

Specifying unit 22 may also specify the checking area and checking timebased on the difference between the movement route of an animal groupthat is estimated based on the movement history of the animal group andlatest position information of the animal group. That is, there arecases where the movement route of an animal group estimated based on themovement history of the animal group differs from the actual movementroute of the animal group. In such a case, specifying unit 22 need onlycorrect the movement route of the animal group estimated based on themovement history of the animal group from the latest positioninformation of the animal group.

Modification 3

Specifying unit 22 may also specify the checking area and checking timebased on image capturing conditions at a time when aerial vehicle 10captures images of an animal group. The image capturing conditionsreferred to here include weather (whether a light level suitable forimage-capturing can be secured), a time slot (daytime, night time, orthe like, whether the time slot is a time slot in which a light levelsuitable for image-capturing can be secured), a land condition (e.g.,whether the landform provides good visibility for image-capturing), arelationship between sunlight and animal face direction (that is,whether the sunlight is direct light or backlight relative to the facesof the animals for image capture), and the like.

Modification 4

In this embodiment, the checking area and checking time are an area anda time in which a maximally large and dense number of animals 30congregate within the checking area and the checking time; although, itmay be the case that a number of individual animals that are not a partof the group of animals 30 may also be present. Such individual animalsmay behave independently from the group. To reduce incidence ofcapturing such individual animals. specifying unit 22 may specify achecking area and a checking time for capturing only such individualanimals. Therefore, the terminal identification information is providedon wireless terminal 40 as a bar code or as characters, for example, andspecifying unit 22 specifies terminal identification information of anindividual animal hitherto not regularly captured upon performing imageanalysis on a plurality of pieces of past captured image data of aerialvehicle 10. Specifying unit 22 then specifies the estimated movementroute of such an individual using the generated artificial intelligencemodel, and specifies the checking area and checking time for theindividual. Here, when there are a plurality of individual animals thatwere not regularly captured, specifying unit 22 may specify the checkingarea and checking time such that the plurality of individual animals canbe collectively captured to as great an extent as possible. In this way,specifying unit 22 may extract individual animals, of an animal group,that were not frequently captured in a first checking area to checking astate of the animal group, and specify a second checking area fordetermining the states of the extracted individual animals, and controlunit 23 may perform control such that aerial vehicle 10 is caused to flyto the first checking area and the second checking area specified byspecifying unit 22.

Modification 5

The animals to be image captured are not limited to livestock. Also,information on weather is not necessarily essential when specifying thechecking area and checking time. Further, specifying unit 22 need onlyspecify the checking area, and need not essentially specify the checkingtime. If only aerial vehicle 10 is caused to fly to a checking areawithout specifying a checking time, it is still assured that the animalswill pass through the checking area covered by aerial vehicle 10.

Other Modifications

It is of note that the block diagram used in the description of theabove embodiment shows functional unit blocks. These functional blocks(constituent units) can be realized by any combination of at least oneof hardware and software. The method of realizing each functional blockis not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may berealized by using a physically or logically coupled single apparatus, ormay be realized by directly or indirectly connecting two or moreapparatus that are physically or logically separate (by way of, forexample, a wired connection, a wireless connection, or the like), andusing the plurality of apparatus. Functional blocks may also be realizedby combining with software one or a plurality of apparatus.

Examples of functions include determining, deciding, summing,calculating, processing, deriving, surveying, searching, confirming,receiving, transmitting, outputting, accessing, solving, selecting,setting, establishing, comparing, assuming, expecting, considering,broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring,reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, assigning, and the like, but theseare not limitations. For example, a functional block (constituent unit)that causes transmission to function is referred to as a transmissioncontrol unit (transmitting unit) or a transmitter (transmitter). Asdescribed above, the method of realizing a function is not particularlylimited.

For example, the server apparatus or the like in one embodiment ofpresent disclosure may function as a computer that performs processingof present disclosure.

The modes/embodiment described in the present disclosure can be appliedto at least one of a system that uses LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A(LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobilecommunication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system),FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), W-CDMA (registeredtrademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra MobileBroadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16(WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-WideBand),Bluetooth (registered trademark), or another appropriate system, and anext-generation system expanded from the systems described above. Also,a plurality of systems can be applied in a combined mode (e.g.,combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A and 5G).

The order of the processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts and thelike of the modes/embodiment described in the present disclosure can bechanged, as long as no inconsistencies result from such change. Forexample, with regard to the methods described in the present disclosure,the elements of various steps are presented using an illustrative order,and are not limited to the specific order in which they are presented.

Information and the like that has been input/output may be saved in aspecific location (for example, a memory), or may be managed using amanagement table. The information and the like that is input/output canbe overwritten, updated, or augmented. Information and the like that hasbeen output may be deleted. Information and the like that has been inputmay be transmitted to another apparatus.

Determination may be performed according to a value (0 or 1) representedby 1 bit, or may be performed according to a Boolean value (Boolean:true or false), or may be performed by comparing numerical values (forexample, comparison with a predetermined value).

Although the present disclosure has been described above in detail, itwill be evident to a person skilled in the art that the disclosure isnot limited to the embodiment described in the disclosure. The presentdisclosure can be implemented in revised and modified modes withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, which is definedby the description in the claims. Accordingly, the description of thepresent disclosure is an illustrative description and is not restrictivewith respect to the disclosure.

Regardless of whether software is referred to as software, firmware,middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or by anothername, “software” should be interpreted broadly as meaning commands,command sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, sub programs,software modules, applications, software applications, softwarepackages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, executionthreads, sequences, functions, and the like. Additionally, software,commands, and the like may be exchanged over a transmission medium. Forexample, when software is transmitted from a website, a server, oranother remote source using hardwired technologies such as coaxialcable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair cabling, or digital subscriberline (DSL), and/or wireless technologies such as infrared light, radiowaves, or microwaves, at least one of these hardwired technologies andwireless technologies is included in the definition of “transmissionmedium.”

The information, signals, and the like described in the presentdisclosure may be expressed by using any of a variety of differenttechniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information,signals, bits, symbols, chips, and the like that may be referred tothroughout all of the foregoing descriptions may be expressed byvoltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magneticparticles, photo fields or photons, or any desired combination thereof.

It is of note that a term that has been described in the presentdisclosure and a term that may be required to understand the presentdisclosure may be replaced by a term that has the same or a similarmeaning.

Also, information, a parameter, or the like that has been described inthe present disclosure may be represented by an absolute value, by arelative value from a predetermined value, or by other correspondinginformation.

The phrase “based on” used in the present disclosure does not mean“based only on” unless specified as such. In other words, the phrase“based on” means both “based only on” and “based at least on.”

Any reference to an element for which a phrase such as “first” or“second” that is used in the present disclosure does not generally limitan amount or order of such an element. These phrases may be used in thepresent disclosure as a convenient way of distinguishing between two ormore elements. Therefore, reference to first and second elements doesnot mean that only the two elements are adopted, or the first elementmust precede the second element in any form.

The term “unit” in the configuration of each apparatus described abovemay be replaced by a “means,” a “circuit,” a “device,” or the like.

In the present disclosure, use of the terms “include” and “including”and variations thereof, are comprehensively similar to the term“comprising.” Moreover, the term “or” used in the present disclosure isnot used exclusively with a meaning of “or.”

Use of an article such as a, an, or the in the English translation ofthe present disclosure may include a case where a noun following thesearticles takes a plural form.

In the present disclosure, the phrase “A and B are different” may mean“A and B are different from each other.” Thus, this phrase may mean that“A and B are each different from C.” Terms such as “away” and “coupled”may be construed in a similar manner as “different.”

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1 Flight system

2 Communication network

10 Aerial vehicle

1001 Processor

1002 Memory

1003 Storage

1004 Communication unit

1005 Input unit

1006 Output unit

1007 Flight unit

1008 Sensor

1009 GPS unit

20 Server apparatus

21 Acquiring unit

22 Specifying unit

23 Control unit

2001 Processor

2002 Memory

2003 Storage

2004 Communication unit

2005 Input unit

2006 Output unit

30 Animal

40 Wireless terminal

What is claimed is: 1.-8. (canceled)
 9. An information processingapparatus comprising: a specifying unit configured to specify a checkingarea for checking a state of an animal group based on a movement historyof the animal group; and a control unit configured to perform controlsuch that an aerial vehicle that captures images of the animal group iscaused to fly to the checking area specified by the specifying unit. 10.The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein thespecifying unit specifies a checking area in which animals of the animalgroup of a threshold number or more are facing in the same directionbased on a movement direction specified from a movement history of theanimal group, and the control unit causes the aerial vehicle to fly in adirection directly facing the animal group in a checking area specifiedby the specifying unit so as to capture faces of the animals.
 11. Theinformation processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein thespecifying unit specifies the checking area and a time within which theanimal group remains in the checking area based on the movement historyof the animal group, and the control unit performs control such that theaerial vehicle is caused to fly so as to arrive at the checking areaspecified by the specifying unit at the time specified by the specifyingunit.
 12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9,wherein the specifying unit specifies the checking area based oninformation of a weather history corresponding to when the animal groupmoved in addition to the movement history of the animal group.
 13. Theinformation processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein thespecifying unit specifies the checking area based on a differencebetween the movement route of the animal group that was estimated basedon the movement history of the animal group and latest positioninformation of the animal group.
 14. The information processingapparatus according to claim 9, wherein the specifying unit specifiesthe checking area further based on image capturing conditions when theaerial vehicle captures images of the animal group.
 15. The informationprocessing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the specifying unitextracts images of individuals animals of the animal group, that werenot regularly captured in a first checking area in which the state ofthe animal group was checked, and specifies a second checking area inwhich the state of the extracted individual animals is checked, and thecontrol unit performs control such that the aerial vehicle is caused tofly to the first checking area and second checking area that werespecified by the specifying unit.
 16. An information processing methodcomprising: specifying a checking area for checking a state of an animalgroup based on a movement history of the animal group; and performingcontrol such that an aerial vehicle that captures images of the animalgroup is caused to fly to the checking area specified by the specifyingunit.